Ko Jin-young seeks second Evian Championship title amid Korean resurgence on LPGA

Home > Sports > Golf

Ko Jin-young seeks second Evian Championship title amid Korean resurgence on LPGA

Published: 09 Jul. 2025, 15:57 Updated: 09 Jul. 2025, 18:29

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ko Jin-young hits a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give 2025 at Blythefield Country Club on June 12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [AFP/YONHAP]

Ko Jin-young will start her bid to lift a trophy again at the Evian Championship, teeing off at Evian Resort Golf Club in France, on Thursday, after her victory at the major in 2019.

The tournament first began in 2000 and became a major in 2013. A skydiving ceremony featuring the winner’s national flag, released from helicopters above the French Alps, is one of the competition's trademark traditions.

The total purse remains unchanged from last year at $8 million.

The Evian Championship shares a deep connection with the dominance of Korean women’s golf in the 2010s.

Shin Ji-yai won the title in 2010, followed by Park In-bee in 2012, Kim Hyo-joo in 2014 and Chun In-gee in 2016. Ko won the trophy in 2019.

Since the tournament’s cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, however, Korean contenders have failed to lift the trophy.

Ryu Hae-ran managed the best result among Koreans at the major last year, finishing solely in fifth place.

Korean golfers' recent struggles reflect their overall decline on the Tour, where they went from securing 15 wins in 2017 to four wins in 2022, five in 2023, and three last year.

But the first half of the 2025 LPGA season has seen Korean golfers combining four wins, with Kim A-lim winning the opening competition at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in February, Kim Hyo-joo clinching a title at the Ford Championship in March, Ryu lifting the Black Desert Championship in May and Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi teaming up to win the Dow Championship last month.

Kim Hyo-joo joins the field on the back of her good performance at the Evian Championship in previous years, having managed a joint third finish in 2022, joint 20th in 2023 and joint 12th last year.

“I missed a lot of greens, but my short game was the best it’s ever been,” Kim said after finishing the Lotte Championship on the KLPGA Tour on Sunday. “If I can keep hitting greens at the Evian Championship, I expect to see good results.”

This year’s field includes past champions Ko and Chun, in addition to compatriots such as Im Jin-hee, Yoon Ina and Kim Sei-young.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]